


Just Like I Am

by PotterheadAvengerDemigod



Category: Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Feels, Can be taken as pre-slash, Fluff, Gen or Pre-Slash, Kinda, M/M, Possibly Pre-Slash, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 00:30:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3999076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PotterheadAvengerDemigod/pseuds/PotterheadAvengerDemigod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is nothing Tony Stark will not do to protect the ones he loves.<br/>And no one he will spare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Like I Am

**Author's Note:**

  * For [covetsubjugation](https://archiveofourown.org/users/covetsubjugation/gifts).



> Happy Birthday, covetsubjugation!  
> Hope you like this :)
> 
> P.S. You better appreciate this, I killed my own OTP feels doing this for you.

Irises flood with green. Skin ripples and muscles bulge, flexing and growing under rapidly changing flesh.

Green diffuses across pale skin, fabric rips and rends.  A yell breaks off, transforming into an ear-splitting roar.

Glass shatters, metal bends, furniture crumbling and test tubes smashing to glittering shards on the ground, even as bullets ring off the heavy lab door, shouts and commands echoing from the other side.

"The monster! It's out!"

There are terrified yells that echo from outside the door, from outside the place where he's supposed to be safe, secure, happy.

"Men, stand your ground!" _His_ voice calls out, and even Hulk freezes for that instant, before he goes berserk.

The heavy steel door is nothing to his strength, and the barricade gives under his punches, crumpling like tinfoil in someone's fist.

The soldiers outside the door scatter, fleeing like mice before a giant, until there stands but one man before him, face pinched and severe, a ghastly reminder of the past.

"Hello, monster," he snarls, raising his weapon, a heavy, cannon-like barrel, and he takes aim.

Then a red and gold blur comes speeding down the hallway, crashing straight into the man, knocking the weapon out of his hands and pushing the man bodily to the floor before stilling, landing gracefully, upright.

 _Tin Man_ , Hulk thinks. _Tin Man is safe, Tin Man will help Hulk._

The red and gold armoured hero stands before the Hulk, palms out and repulsors glowing, miniature missile launchers in his pauldrons raised and prepped, ready to fire.

"Leave, General Ross. Before I get mad."

"Stark," the man growls. "Go. Now. This is not your battle, leave the beast to me. Or suffer his fate."

The general makes to pick up his weapon, but a well-timed and aimed repulsor blast takes out the main body of the cannon-like object, rendering it useless, metal twisted and warped.

"This is not your fight, Stark. Leave!"

Tony scoffs, unimpressed. "I rather think it is, General. You come barging into my home, bringing troops of soldiers with you, all armed with enough firepower to bring the White House down in flames, and you think it's none of my business? Well, think again, Ross. You threaten one of us, you threaten all. And if you dare go after Bruce, you will have to go through me."

"You are harbouring a murderer, a man who is military property, Stark. Hand him over and maybe I'll see to it that the military doesn't press charges."

The general draws a gun from his holster, and one of his men suddenly materialises by his side, holding yet another one of those cannon-like guns.

Clearly, they were designed to take down the Hulk, and hell if Tony was going to allow that.

"I'd put that gun down now, if I were you, soldier."

The man's hands shake, but that's the only outward sign of weakness, and he doesn't lower the weapon.

Tony shrugs. "Fine. Have it your way."

A purposefully mis-aimed repulsor blast has the soldier diving away, loosening his hold on the weapon, which Tony darts forward, easily plucking it from his grip, the strength of the Iron Man suit easily crushing the barrel of the weapon.

The soldier gulps, backing away slowly.

"I warned you, General. You want to play this game? I'd caution you, as Merchant of Death, I rarely lose."

Ross looks around, realising that his troops have all but deserted him, even the ones that he had planted in the shadows to appear when least expected.

He scowls. "This isn't over, Stark. The fact still remains that you're harbouring a military fugitive and wanted man, and you won't get away with it."

Tony laughs darkly. "Oh, General, I rather think I have."

The military man turns and leaves, disappearing through the open doors as Security turns up, two men flanking him on either side as they escort him from the premises.

When the man is well out of sight and earshot, Tony unlatches his helmet, pulling off the headpiece and laying an armoured hand on the Hulk's forearm. "Hey, Big Guy, you okay?"

Hulk nods, as calm as can be expected of him, before grinning. "Tin Man protect Hulk. Hulk say thank you. Hulk let Small Man come back now."

Tony grins. "There's a good man."

The green recedes from skin, turning pale yet again, shrinking in size as emerald fades from brown eyes, blinking blearily at Tony.

"Tony?" Bruce asks, confused, brow furrowed. "What- I thought I saw... Ross? What happened?"

The billionaire genius grins, patting Bruce comfortingly on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I took care of it."

Bruce's lips pull into a soft smile, pulling Tony into an awkward hug. "Thanks, Tony."

Tony grins lopsidedly, patting Bruce's back a little stiffly -Pepper's always called him emotionally stunted, Tony personally thinks emotionally crippled is closer to the truth.

"It was my pleasure, Bruce, you're an Avenger, you're one of us, I -we'll always be by your side."

It may just be Bruce's imagination, but for a moment he's convinced that he felt Tony's lips brushing his cheek before the billionaire pulls away from the hug, smiling genuinely, a toothy, lopsided grin that exposes his even, white teeth.

Bruce turns to leave, to tidy up his lab, when Tony's voice stops him in his tracks.

"You know, Bruce, I've seen you lose your temper before, but you didn't Hulk out. You ever think," Tony hems, hesitating, and Bruce almost doesn't want to hear what comes next. "You ever think that maybe, maybe it's not anger that makes the Other Guy appear? Maybe it's fear, Bruce. Maybe he's protecting you just like I am."

The sentiment makes Bruce smile, and he considers it, although it’s not the part of the statement that his mind latches on to.

_Just like I am._

Bruce’s smile grows just that bit, and he thinks, “ _Maybe_.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> So... Writing this killed my OTP feels.  
> But whaddya gonna do? Birthday prezzies after all. x)


End file.
